Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a video game that consists of 11 releases
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Symphony of the Night changed the gameplay of the Castlevania series, moving towards a less linear style similar to the Metroid games, and Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. Instead of progressing from one level to the next, the player has to explore an entire castle and can do so in a less rigid fashion. The player's progress is still dictated by the items and upgrades in their possession, so it is not truly non-linear. By defeating enemies, Alucard gains experience points and can level up. There are also weapons scattered throughout the castle so the player is not limited to a single weapon. Much of these changes can be attributed to Koji Igarashi, the game's director, who was a new member of the development team at the time. Igarashi had seen many of the original Castlevania games in bargain bins and used game sales across Japan, and felt that the series lacked good replay value for players. The non-linear approach, along with an extra castle and a plethora of secrets were his solution to this lack of replayability. Igarashi also desired to tie up all lose ends in the games' stories, and created the Castlevania canon.
On the 21st of March 2007, Symphony of the Night was released on the Xbox Live Arcade, and is available to download for 800 Microsoft points. It was the first title to exceed the Xbox Live Arcade limit of 50 MB, and was made an exception for qualitys sake. The minimum was later raised to 350 MB. The game was also released on Playstation Network on July 19, 2007, in a version identical to the Playstation original. The game could be downloaded and played on both the Playstation 3 and PSP. THe PSP saw the game come in disc form as a bonus in Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles.
Since Symphony of the Night, nearly every new Castlevania title has been in the "Metroidvania" style, excepting only the two Playstation 2 titles, Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness. as well as two remakes, Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles, and Castlevania Chronicles. To date, general consensus is that Symphony of the Night is the epitome of the genre (alongside Super Metroid).
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night starts you off as Richter Belmont about to do battle with Dracula and defeat him for the final time. Richter ascends the stairs, and does battle with the immortal fiend. After Dracula is slain, his castle disappears into the mist, never to be seen again.
Four years later, in 1797, Richter mysteriously vanishes. Maria Renard, who once fought with Richter, sets out to find him. Dracula's castle once again materializes, which Maria takes as a sign. She travels to the castle, hoping to get to the bottom of it all.
With Richter supposedly on the side of darkness, a shift in the balance of good and evil occurs, waking Alucard, son of Dracula, from his sleep. Alucard sees that his father's castle has materialized, and sets out to discover what has taken place. Maria and Alucard meet throughout their journeys, both working towards the same goal.
It seems that Richter has claimed to be the new lord of Castlevania. Not all is as it seems, however...
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a non-linear, Metroidvania style sidescrolling action platformer game. Alucard, the main character, will navigate the many sectors of Dracula's castle with flexibilty in his progression. The castle is maze like, with many hidden passages, deadly obstacles, and incresingly difficult enemies. The game incorporates the classic Castlevania platform gameplay, and mixes it with the exploration of titles like Super Metroid and Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. To progress, Alucard must gather powers, defeat bosses, and discover the secrets of Dracula's domain.
Combat in Castlevania is based on real-time combat, meaning that you can continuously dodge and attack without having to experience any breaks in combat. Alucard has a variety of weapons at his disposal, he can wield swords, axes, shields, wands, and items. Alucard has a nifty reversal-dash technique where he slides backwards to avoid any enemy attacks, this is one of Alucard's most useful tools to avoid being damaged. Equipment and items can be found from the castle, acquired through enemy droppings and bought from the strange Master Librarian residing in the library.
Symphony of the Night is the first Castlevania title to allow players to use other primary weapons besides whips, which was traditional in the series prior to the game. Alucard's repoitoire, however, is mostly based on edged weapons, such as axes and swords. Other weapons, such as first weapons and single use, expendable weapons, are available, though much less common. Symphony of the Night's alternate character, Richter and Maria have arsenals of their own. Richter plays like characters in the previous titles, wielding the legendary Vampire Killer, and utilizing classic subweapons. Maria uses energy based projectiles and kicks to do battle. Armor and accessories could also be equipped, granting the player bonuses to all of their characters stats. The Sega Saturn title expands on the items in the game, and has many bonus weapons and armor sets.
Players could also pick up other items, such as food, to help replenish health and hearts. Items such as the classic Castlevania haunch of meat will replenish health, while sweet treats like ice cream generally refill Alucard's hearts. Players must be wary, however, as not everything is good for the character's stomach. Poison mushrooms, rotten meat, and other unsavory goods will cause status effects, among other harmful effects. These items do not have effect upon contact, as in past Castlevania titles. Rather, they will be placed in the inventory, and must be equipped to one of Alucard's arms. Once equipped, pressing the button the food is assigned to will throw them out, and Alucard can use them.
Sub-weapons also make a return in Symphony of the Night, including old favorites like Holy Water and the Throwing axe. These subweapons consume hearts, which can be regenerated by picking up additional hearts, dropped by enemies, as well as lights sources once Alucard obtains the Cube of Zoe. Item crashes return from the previous game, which are special powered up versions of the equipped subweapon. Only Maria and Richter can perform item crashes. Each weapon has different effects depending on what character uses them. Along with subweapons, special creatures could be equipped as aids in combat. These creatures, called familiars, include fairies and demons. Familiars have a variety of different effects in combat, including healing, fighting, and defense. These familiars level up along with Alucard, becoming stronger with each level.
Symphony of the Night also introduces a magic system to the series. Players can collect various spells which can be used for combat and healing, and are performed by performing special button combinations. There are a number of attack spells, such as Hellfire, and other that heal, one such being Dark Metamorphosis, a spell that heals Alucard any time he spills blood. Alucard can gain more spells when he gathers incantation scrolls.
Mankind ill needs a savior such as you!
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night isn't like any of the previous Castlevania games. Even though there are still candles and hearts and sub-weapons, there are massive differences in gameplay. Among the biggest is the break from linear level format, similar to Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. While progress is still limited by items and abilities granted by defeating bosses and finding rooms, the player can more or less choose where they want to be (A number of tricks and glitches also allows them, with enough know how, to get into places they shouldn't be). In addition to being less level oriented, Symphony of the Night introduces an entire armory allowing Alucard to pick and choose anything from a standard sword to brass knuckles to sticks of dynamite. Previous Castlevania titles merely allowed for the whip and three upgrade system, never allowing alternate equips. Our hero is also equipped with a number of spells including, but not limited to, the classic vampire hellfire, the ability to summon attack spirits, and the devastating "soul steal". Upon finding certain relics, the player can choose to have a familiar follow them around imparting certain benefits. The fairy helps as a support character healing you when damaged, giving you antidotes when poisoned, etc. The bat, sword, ghost, and demon are all combat oriented and serve to deal additional damage. The active familiar will gain experience with every monster you kill, increasing that familiars skill in battle or in support.
Throughout the game, a variety of relics are hidden which can aid Alucard in an assortment of ways. Relics will allow him to jump higher, collect hearts and items from lightsources, equip familiars, and open sealed doors, among other things. These can be turned on and off in the menu screen. Some of the more important relics will allow Alucard to transform himself into beasts, or mist. The first transformation is the wolf, who can run faster, and make long, running jumps. The wolf attacks with a short ranged bite. The second transformation is the bat, similar to Alucard's power in Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, which can fly freely around the stages. FInally, the mist power will allow Alucard to float around, through grates and other obstacles impassable by other states of matter. When in these forms, Alucard's MP will slowly be drained. Each for becomes necessary to advance in the game, and obtain many hidden secrets.
Symphony of the Night was the second Castlevania game to feature RPG elements, the first being Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. Growth elements were reintroduced in Symphony of the Night. For each enemy whom the player downed, their character would receive a number of experience points. Once enough experience points are gathered, the character would level up, and receive a boost to the various stats. ALucard can also gather Life Max , Heart Max , which increase how much health and hearts Alucard can carry. These RPG elements have become a mainstay mechanic in the series since, as have many other elements of Symphony of the Night.
In most versions of the game, it is possible for the player to take control of Richter Belmont, the vampire hunter. After satisfying certain conditions, the player can enter their name as "RICHTER" and they will be put in his shoes to explor Castlevania. Richter does not collect items, cannot equip anything, does not find relics, cannot use familiars, and does not level up. Playing as Richter is very much like previous games, with more limited character mobility. He does not have any MP, and his heart maximum capacity is 99. Heart Max items only replenish hearts. He can, however, increase his, life maximum when he collects life max up items. His only primary weapon is the vampire killer, which cannot be powered up (save his whip item crash and increased power in the inverted castle). Richter wields the same sub-weeapons as Alucard, but has the ability to perform and item crash that eats up a large number of hearts, and performs a strong attack.
Upon release, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was given universal acclaim. Titled, "quite possibly the best 2D side-scroller ever" by Gamespot.com, it has made numerous "best game ever" lists, including Gamespot and IGN. At #16 on IGN's list, IGN claims, "In the middle of the 3D age this 2D game came out and was absolutely great," afterwards calling the game an "amazing experience."
The game was hailed for breathing new life into the second dimension, which many thought dead with the coming of 3D visuals on consoles.
Xbox Live ArcadeIn addition to the standard Live Arcade changes such as achievements and leaderboards, users that have widescreen TV's have bars on both sides of the screen that can be filled with various Castlevania themed wallpapers. Complimenting the wallpaper is a graphical filter that blurs the visuals for a finer image, which is most notable on High Definition televisions. Only other notable difference is the missing FMV cutscenes in the non-Japanese versions. Most of the original glitches and cheats from PlayStation version also work. XBL version originally introduced various new glitches in the game, which have since been patched. The credits theme has also been changed with a patch. Originally "I am the Wind" from the original PlayStation game was used, but for some unknown reason the credit roll now features a song "Admiration Towards the Clan" which is originally from the game Castlevania: Lament of Innocence for the PlayStation 2. Control is also an issue; because both the analog stick and d-pad of the Xbox 360 controller are imprecise, it is entirely possible to lean slightly 'up' while walking or jumping, meaning that if you try to attack, you'll use your sub-weapon instead, wasting hearts.
Symphony of the NIght was included as a bonus in the 2007 PSP game Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. For the most part, this version is a direct port of the Playstation game, though a number of changes were made. Maria is made playable in the PSP version, though she plays differently than in the Sega Saturn game, and is more akin to the Super Nintendo title. Her primary weapon is an owl, and she uses four beasts as sub-weapons.
in addition, her sprites have been redrawn for the PSP. The bestiary in the Library has been reorganized, as well.
Similar to the Xbox Live Arcade download, the song "I am the Wind" has been removed from the credits, and has been replaced with "Serenade of Symphony." In addition to the credits song, some minor changes were made to other sound effects throughout the title. Included in the sound changes are new voice overs for all characters, as well as a re-translation of the script, and alterations in item and enemy descriptions. Some voices have remained the same as the original, such as Medusa. The PSP game also gives players the option to switch the voices to the original Japanese dubs.
Unfortunately, the port is not perfect. The PSP version has a number of bugs and glitches, such as a freezing issue when summoning familiars.
Easter Eggs & Trivia
The Long Library
Outer Wall: A long vertical section of the castle, with an elevator for quick transportation. The area has a room with a telescope at the bottom, where Alucard views a mysterious cloacked figure in a rowboat.
Long Library: The dwelling place of the Master Librarian, who is a great help to Alucard.
Underground Caverns: A dark, decrepit area filled with poisonous water and blood thirsty beasts.
l Royal Chapel : A huge chapel, complete with a confession room, and an organ. Very ornate.
Castle Keep: The home of Dracula's abandoned throne room.
Olrox's Quarters: An area dedicated to Olrox, one of Dracula's most trusted allies.
Colosseum: A classical colloseum, full of beasts and gladiators.
Abandoned Mines: A transition area full of rocks and moss.
Catacombs: A burial ground for many of Dracula's victims.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a 2D action-adventure game developed and published by Konami in 1997.
Adrian Farenheights Tepes "Alucard"
Overview
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was released on the Sony Playstation October 2, 1997, the first for a Sony console, and is the 13th installment in the popular franchise. Symphony of the Night is a direct sequel to Castlevania: Rondo of Blood for the Super Nintendo.Symphony of the Night changed the gameplay of the Castlevania series, moving towards a less linear style similar to the Metroid games, and Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. Instead of progressing from one level to the next, the player has to explore an entire castle and can do so in a less rigid fashion. The player's progress is still dictated by the items and upgrades in their possession, so it is not truly non-linear. By defeating enemies, Alucard gains experience points and can level up. There are also weapons scattered throughout the castle so the player is not limited to a single weapon. Much of these changes can be attributed to Koji Igarashi, the game's director, who was a new member of the development team at the time. Igarashi had seen many of the original Castlevania games in bargain bins and used game sales across Japan, and felt that the series lacked good replay value for players. The non-linear approach, along with an extra castle and a plethora of secrets were his solution to this lack of replayability. Igarashi also desired to tie up all lose ends in the games' stories, and created the Castlevania canon.
A boss fight
Since Symphony of the Night, nearly every new Castlevania title has been in the "Metroidvania" style, excepting only the two Playstation 2 titles, Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness. as well as two remakes, Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles, and Castlevania Chronicles. To date, general consensus is that Symphony of the Night is the epitome of the genre (alongside Super Metroid).
Plot
Four years later, in 1797, Richter mysteriously vanishes. Maria Renard, who once fought with Richter, sets out to find him. Dracula's castle once again materializes, which Maria takes as a sign. She travels to the castle, hoping to get to the bottom of it all.
With Richter supposedly on the side of darkness, a shift in the balance of good and evil occurs, waking Alucard, son of Dracula, from his sleep. Alucard sees that his father's castle has materialized, and sets out to discover what has taken place. Maria and Alucard meet throughout their journeys, both working towards the same goal.
It seems that Richter has claimed to be the new lord of Castlevania. Not all is as it seems, however...
Gameplay
Intense!
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a non-linear, Metroidvania style sidescrolling action platformer game. Alucard, the main character, will navigate the many sectors of Dracula's castle with flexibilty in his progression. The castle is maze like, with many hidden passages, deadly obstacles, and incresingly difficult enemies. The game incorporates the classic Castlevania platform gameplay, and mixes it with the exploration of titles like Super Metroid and Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. To progress, Alucard must gather powers, defeat bosses, and discover the secrets of Dracula's domain.
Combat in Castlevania is based on real-time combat, meaning that you can continuously dodge and attack without having to experience any breaks in combat. Alucard has a variety of weapons at his disposal, he can wield swords, axes, shields, wands, and items. Alucard has a nifty reversal-dash technique where he slides backwards to avoid any enemy attacks, this is one of Alucard's most useful tools to avoid being damaged. Equipment and items can be found from the castle, acquired through enemy droppings and bought from the strange Master Librarian residing in the library.
Symphony of the Night is the first Castlevania title to allow players to use other primary weapons besides whips, which was traditional in the series prior to the game. Alucard's repoitoire, however, is mostly based on edged weapons, such as axes and swords. Other weapons, such as first weapons and single use, expendable weapons, are available, though much less common. Symphony of the Night's alternate character, Richter and Maria have arsenals of their own. Richter plays like characters in the previous titles, wielding the legendary Vampire Killer, and utilizing classic subweapons. Maria uses energy based projectiles and kicks to do battle. Armor and accessories could also be equipped, granting the player bonuses to all of their characters stats. The Sega Saturn title expands on the items in the game, and has many bonus weapons and armor sets.
You tell him, Richter!
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Symphony of the Night also introduces a magic system to the series. Players can collect various spells which can be used for combat and healing, and are performed by performing special button combinations. There are a number of attack spells, such as Hellfire, and other that heal, one such being Dark Metamorphosis, a spell that heals Alucard any time he spills blood. Alucard can gain more spells when he gathers incantation scrolls.
Mankind ill needs a savior such as you!
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night isn't like any of the previous Castlevania games. Even though there are still candles and hearts and sub-weapons, there are massive differences in gameplay. Among the biggest is the break from linear level format, similar to Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. While progress is still limited by items and abilities granted by defeating bosses and finding rooms, the player can more or less choose where they want to be (A number of tricks and glitches also allows them, with enough know how, to get into places they shouldn't be). In addition to being less level oriented, Symphony of the Night introduces an entire armory allowing Alucard to pick and choose anything from a standard sword to brass knuckles to sticks of dynamite. Previous Castlevania titles merely allowed for the whip and three upgrade system, never allowing alternate equips. Our hero is also equipped with a number of spells including, but not limited to, the classic vampire hellfire, the ability to summon attack spirits, and the devastating "soul steal". Upon finding certain relics, the player can choose to have a familiar follow them around imparting certain benefits. The fairy helps as a support character healing you when damaged, giving you antidotes when poisoned, etc. The bat, sword, ghost, and demon are all combat oriented and serve to deal additional damage. The active familiar will gain experience with every monster you kill, increasing that familiars skill in battle or in support.
Throughout the game, a variety of relics are hidden which can aid Alucard in an assortment of ways. Relics will allow him to jump higher, collect hearts and items from lightsources, equip familiars, and open sealed doors, among other things. These can be turned on and off in the menu screen. Some of the more important relics will allow Alucard to transform himself into beasts, or mist. The first transformation is the wolf, who can run faster, and make long, running jumps. The wolf attacks with a short ranged bite. The second transformation is the bat, similar to Alucard's power in Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, which can fly freely around the stages. FInally, the mist power will allow Alucard to float around, through grates and other obstacles impassable by other states of matter. When in these forms, Alucard's MP will slowly be drained. Each for becomes necessary to advance in the game, and obtain many hidden secrets.
An ornate fountain
Symphony of the Night was the second Castlevania game to feature RPG elements, the first being Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. Growth elements were reintroduced in Symphony of the Night. For each enemy whom the player downed, their character would receive a number of experience points. Once enough experience points are gathered, the character would level up, and receive a boost to the various stats. ALucard can also gather Life Max , Heart Max , which increase how much health and hearts Alucard can carry. These RPG elements have become a mainstay mechanic in the series since, as have many other elements of Symphony of the Night.
Richter Belmont Gameplay
In most versions of the game, it is possible for the player to take control of Richter Belmont, the vampire hunter. After satisfying certain conditions, the player can enter their name as "RICHTER" and they will be put in his shoes to explor Castlevania. Richter does not collect items, cannot equip anything, does not find relics, cannot use familiars, and does not level up. Playing as Richter is very much like previous games, with more limited character mobility. He does not have any MP, and his heart maximum capacity is 99. Heart Max items only replenish hearts. He can, however, increase his, life maximum when he collects life max up items. His only primary weapon is the vampire killer, which cannot be powered up (save his whip item crash and increased power in the inverted castle). Richter wields the same sub-weeapons as Alucard, but has the ability to perform and item crash that eats up a large number of hearts, and performs a strong attack.
Sub-Weapons
- Dagger: The weakest of all sub-weapons, yet very fast, and costs a single heart.
- Axe: Alucard tosses a round axe into the air. A great weapon for taking out airborne foes.
- Holy Cross: Alucard will throw a spinning cross a short distance in the air before returning like a boomerang, damaging enemies on the way.
- Bibuti: Alucard will throw holy ashes onto the ground, which do damage to anything that touches them.
An Axe being thrown, not by Alucard. - Holy Water: The character throws a bottle of holy water on the ground, which will burst into blue flames, damaging anything that touches them.
- Watch: Freezes time. It has no effect on many enemies.
- Bible: A bible will come out, and rapidly spin arounnd Alucard, acting as a sort of shield before flying off.
- Rebound Stone: Alucard throws a single diamond that will ricochet off of walls and damage enemies. Best used in tight spaces.
- Agunea: Shoots sacred lightning at enemies. It can be continuously used if the player holds down up and the attack button.
- Crucifix: The ultimate sub-weapon, attacks like Richter's cross item crash, bringing a large cross on screen to damage everything. Will eat up 100 hearts.
Sound
The music for this game was composed by Michiru Yamane. The soundtrack was her first relatively big title, and she has been the series composer ever since. Her other recent work include Suikoden 3 and 4, as well as Rumble Roses. The melodies range widely between archaic chamber music, heavenly choirs, and stuff that sounds like it's right out of a rock opera. Each of the castle's areas has a distinctive, recognizable track that helps ease the monotony whilst farming for that fabled Crissaegrim. Symphony of the Night's soundtrack has been praised since the beginning for its excellent musical score. To this day, the games musical tracks still stand out among the industries best, and the Castlevania series continues to raise the bar for video game music. In the X-Box Live Arcade release the sound sample quality was reduced from 37600Hz to 32kHz in order to appease Microsofts size limitations.Reception
The Library
The game was hailed for breathing new life into the second dimension, which many thought dead with the coming of 3D visuals on consoles.
Differences between versions
Saturn
Since the hardware of the Sega Saturn did not have the option of the same advanced transparency effects as the PlayStation, developers used various dithering effects in stead, making the overall game look drastically different. Also, the Saturn version added Maria Renard as a second playable character. The load times are longer than with the PlayStation and because of the different resolution, the whole game is stretched to fit the screen, distorting many sprites. It is regarded to be the weakest of the versions, even by the original creators of Symphony of the Night. Two new areas were also included for the Saturn version, the Cursed Prison and the Underground Garden. 
XBLA version
Xbox Live ArcadeIn addition to the standard Live Arcade changes such as achievements and leaderboards, users that have widescreen TV's have bars on both sides of the screen that can be filled with various Castlevania themed wallpapers. Complimenting the wallpaper is a graphical filter that blurs the visuals for a finer image, which is most notable on High Definition televisions. Only other notable difference is the missing FMV cutscenes in the non-Japanese versions. Most of the original glitches and cheats from PlayStation version also work. XBL version originally introduced various new glitches in the game, which have since been patched. The credits theme has also been changed with a patch. Originally "I am the Wind" from the original PlayStation game was used, but for some unknown reason the credit roll now features a song "Admiration Towards the Clan" which is originally from the game Castlevania: Lament of Innocence for the PlayStation 2. Control is also an issue; because both the analog stick and d-pad of the Xbox 360 controller are imprecise, it is entirely possible to lean slightly 'up' while walking or jumping, meaning that if you try to attack, you'll use your sub-weapon instead, wasting hearts.
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (PSP)
Symphony of the NIght was included as a bonus in the 2007 PSP game Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. For the most part, this version is a direct port of the Playstation game, though a number of changes were made. Maria is made playable in the PSP version, though she plays differently than in the Sega Saturn game, and is more akin to the Super Nintendo title. Her primary weapon is an owl, and she uses four beasts as sub-weapons.
Save room, XBLA version
Similar to the Xbox Live Arcade download, the song "I am the Wind" has been removed from the credits, and has been replaced with "Serenade of Symphony." In addition to the credits song, some minor changes were made to other sound effects throughout the title. Included in the sound changes are new voice overs for all characters, as well as a re-translation of the script, and alterations in item and enemy descriptions. Some voices have remained the same as the original, such as Medusa. The PSP game also gives players the option to switch the voices to the original Japanese dubs.
Unfortunately, the port is not perfect. The PSP version has a number of bugs and glitches, such as a freezing issue when summoning familiars.
Easter Eggs & Trivia
- The PlayStation version of Symphony of the Night contains a hidden music track accessible by placing the CD-ROM disc onto a normal CD player or on your computer. The track is introduced by Alucard.
- The entrance to the Underground Garden area, exclusive to the Sega Saturn version, exists in the PlayStation version. In order to get to the entrance you have start a new game with Richter, once he jumps into the castle immediately dash backwards and he will fall through a trap door. You will find a glitched save point just ahead of were you fell.
Dracula is no match for a Belmont - The names of many of the game's weapons and armor pieces are inspired by popular fantasy literature, including Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings
- Sometimes when an enemy turns Alucard into stone, he turns into a demon statue instead of the usual Alucard statue.
- Alucard's stats are effected by the opening sequence. Depending on how well Richter fares against Dracula, Alucard will become more powerful.
- When the Sword Familiar obtains a significant level of experience, it can function as a regular sword.
- On the bottom floor of the Coliseum, you can see the remains of the Behemoth that chases Richter in "Rondo of Blood."
- Alucard can explore the roof of the castle, accessible from the Library, and bringing the completion percentage to 200.6%
These two guys first showed up in Super Castlevania IV - The Faerie familiar will rest on Alucard's shoulders if he stands for too long, and cry out in surprise when he moves again.
- Olrox was inspired by the vampire Olrock from the movie Nosferatu.
- If Alucard goes into a tight space in animal form, and changes back to a human, he'll cry out in confusion when he is stuck.
- There is a secret elevator in the Outer Wall. The destination can alternatively be accessed using Mist form.
- Played to completion, an additional, inverted castle is accessible after defeating the final boss wearing Holy Goggles. Here, Lord Dracula is to be defeated under, or rather above, the clock room where the Holy Goggles were obtained.
- Four different endings are unlocked, according to the percentage of the castle explored. Two are available exclusively in the inverted castle featured above.
- The "Alucart" sword, sheild, and garb can be aquired above the clock room. When all of the associated items are worn, Alucard's status changes from "Good" to "Alucart." This boosts his luck in compensation for the terrible equipment.
- Despite its two-dimensional appearance, the engine running "Symphony of the Night" is infact projecting three-dimensional, flat polygons, to compensate for the PlayStation's inability to render two-dimensional images. This complex work-around proved difficult to port to the Sega Saturn, given its inferior processing power.
- When ported to the PlayStation portable, the voicework and screenplay for the entire cast was reworked, and the prologue was narrated.
- The "Now Loading" text can be manipulated using the DualShock controller.
- The Shopkeeper houses numerous treasures under his chair. Repeated jumping using Gravity Boots will release said items.
- At the bottom of the Outer Wall, a telescope can be used to survey the body of water underneath. The Oarsmen is briefly visible.
- The overall non-linear progession throughout the castle was modeled after Super Metroid. All subsequent two-dimensional Castlevania games have been derived from "Symphony of the Night."
- The jazz theme played during the credits, "I am the Wind," was removed in the Xbox Live Arcade port, due to negative feedback.
- The hallways that interlude certain areas of the castle were to compensate for CD loading times, and a symbol indicating a CD is etched into the center bust. These areas remain in every adaptation of the game, despite being obsolete.
- Occasionally, fog will amalgamate in the Outer Wall.
- The Gold and Silver rings contain the divided instructions "Wear In...Clock Tower." However, when both are worn in said clock tower, no effect is triggered. This is an error in translation, as wearing the rings in the clock room, found in the center of the castle, permits secret access underground.
- At 150 megabytes in size, it was the first Xbox Live Arcade game to breach the previous 100 megabyte limit.
Areas of the Castle
Dracula's Castle
- Entrance: The entrance! This area very closely resembles the first level of many Castlevania titles
- Alchemy Laboratory: Where Dracula's minions conduct their dark experiments
- Marble Gallery: An area that becomes very useful as a transition spot, connecting to many other sectors.
The Long Library
Outer Wall: A long vertical section of the castle, with an elevator for quick transportation. The area has a room with a telescope at the bottom, where Alucard views a mysterious cloacked figure in a rowboat.
Long Library: The dwelling place of the Master Librarian, who is a great help to Alucard.
Underground Caverns: A dark, decrepit area filled with poisonous water and blood thirsty beasts.
l Royal Chapel : A huge chapel, complete with a confession room, and an organ. Very ornate.
Castle Keep: The home of Dracula's abandoned throne room.
Olrox's Quarters: An area dedicated to Olrox, one of Dracula's most trusted allies.
Colosseum: A classical colloseum, full of beasts and gladiators.
Abandoned Mines: A transition area full of rocks and moss.
Catacombs: A burial ground for many of Dracula's victims.
Inverted Castle
- Most areas are the same, with a different color scheme. Oh, and they're all upside down.
- Reverse Entrance
- Necromancy Lab
- Black Marble Gallery
- Reverse Outer Wall
- Forbidden Library
- Reverse Clock Tower
- Reverse Caverns
- Anti Chapel
- Reverse Castle Keep
- Death Wing's Lair: Despite its name, there is no enemy named the Death Wing.
- Reverse Colloseum
- Reverse Mine
- Floating Catacombs: The most drastically changed area. Lava now flows through the level, and the visuals have been greatly changed.
| Game Name | Castlevania: Symphony of the Night |
| Platform(s) | |
| Publisher(s) | |
| Developer(s) | |
| Genres |
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| Themes | |
| Original US Release |
Oct. 2, 1997
need a fuzzy date? |
| Original US Release |
know the real date? |
| Aliases |
Castlevania: SOTN Castlevania: Nocturne in the Moonlight |
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